The Mobster's Son
by Miss Nae Malfoy
Summary: Edward has been a single dad, running a multi-million dollar company, and controlling the illegal activities of North District Chicago alone for too long. Sweet, loving Bella has suffered a lonely homelife for too long... but the moment his son sets eyes on Bella, she becomes his "mommy". Is she ready to play house with his gorgeous, powerful mobster dad as well? MOBWARD DADWARD
1. Blossom On The Trees

"…no, I can't find him anywhere! I know, I know." Alice Volturi, both my boss and perhaps the most beautiful woman under five feet tall, bustled through the mingling crowd of the annual Christmas party. Her tall, glittery stilettos put my plain black pumps to shame that night, but I honestly didn't see the point of dressing up too snazzy for this event. The people that I worked with were alright characters, but I didn't really have many friends here. We were just colleagues, and I was perfectly fine with that. A much taller man was trailing her, speaking in low tones as if to calm her frazzled appearance. A few of my coworkers sent her odd looks and immediately began their gossip mill- perhaps she was talking about her infamous husband, Aro? "My brother's going to kill me!" I heard her hiss from where I stood and decided it was time for me to walk away and give her space to deal with her personal drama.

Aro Volturi was always extra friendly at these events, and I did my very best to ignore him at all costs. Together, they owned a chain of luxury hotels under the name "Volturi Hotel & Suites" and I even heard a rumor that they were expanding to a full-on winter resort with ski instructors, personal hot tubs and everything. As I sipped my sparkling wine and milled around, I considered for just a moment what it would be like to be employed at their ski resort. Ever since gracing the front desk of Volturi Hotel & Suites, I found myself striving to make it my duty to become Head of Personnel or Supervising Manager of this chain in North District, Chicago. I wasn't nosy by any means, my mother slapped that out of me at a young age, but when I heard a pattern of tiny sobs and sniffles, I immediately went to the source of the noise. It lead me to the annex of another smaller room, with heavy Christmas cheer décor and more people; a table was turned on its side and pushed against a wall, a white sheet held the shadow of a huddled figure that I slowly attended to. Without gaining anyone's suspicious attention, I kneeled down and pulled my green cocktail dress down a bit. I hated seeing people cry, even strangers, because it just broke my bleeding heart to pieces.

"Hello?" I announced myself softly, hoping not to frighten the tiny person before me. We were safely tucked away from the party goers, but still close enough to be able to hear their jovial laughter and random outbursts. A head of curly, raven locks was attached to small, hunched shoulders and skinny legs- a few hiccups and sobs were heard before I ducked under the rest of the sheet and cocooned myself with this little boy. If any passerby were to stop, they'd assume we were two children playing in a fort of sorts- and I'd probably be fired for looking utterly ridiculous at a company party. Children weren't a norm at these sort of gatherings, but it was rare to come across a crying child all alone. "What's wrong, honey? Are you alright?" When he shook his head, I leaned in closer, setting my glass down. "Are you sick?" Another shake of his head. "Are you hurt- did someone hurt you?" My anger flared at the thought of some creep speaking or touching this poor soul, but I cooled down when he shook his head no and lifted his eyes to me.

They were the most serene color of emerald I had ever seen and I was so glued to them that I didn't notice when he scooted closer to me, almost on my lap. "I'm j-j-just sad." His severe stutter sounded almost natural, as if it was not just a side effect of crying his eyes out. "II'm g-gonna r-r-r-run away forever." He wailed softly as he said this, emitting a tiny frown of my own to emerge.

"No, I'm not sure that's the answer here." I tried to reason softly with him. "What's your name, Green Eyes? Do your parents know you're here?" My spontaneous nickname for him caused an almost quirk of lips from the little guy, but he cast his eyes down again.

"That's w-w-w-what they c-c-c-call my dad." But it was as if bringing up his dad made him both sad and happy. "Grandpa and Vance and J-j-j-oelle say I'm not as g-g-g-good as my dad. And my dad says I shouldn't r-r-really tell strangers my n-n-name." Well, at least his dad cared him enough to give some good fatherly advice! But where was he? How long had this little boy been here alone? Surely any good parent would have gone mad looking for their kid by now? I would have shut down the entire party looking for my baby!

"What if I call you little Green Eyes? That way, we know when I'm talking about you and not your dad." I bargained with him, causing those electrifying green eyes to peek out once more but this time he held his head high. I wondered how his mother controlled those black curls on his head when she needed to… and where was she? Maternal instinct should be going off in her head double time. But what did I really knew? I took care of my kid brother when I was younger, but he was nineteen now with his own newborn to look after; and I was only just twenty-five with no significant other or child of my own, perhaps I wasn't one to talk? He nodded sweetly and sent me one of those melt-your-heart smiles only kids could pull off. "And sorry but I don't believe your grandpa, Joelle, or Vance." I was good at remember names and reciting facts, it was a talent that helped me greatly when dealing with 100 plus people daily. "I bet you're like, one hundred times cooler than your dad." I gushed.

Little Green Eyes gave me a shy beginning of a smile before a blush enveloped his face. "No one's c-c-c-cooler than my dad." He recited with a diplomatic nod of his head. I contained an eye roll at his sudden haughtiness, which was surely a trait he inherited from this _great _father of his. "Aunt Ali says he makes a g-g-gazillion dollars a day, and he s-s-s-saves people." My eyebrows rose with confusion at his last words; then what was he doing here? These people were hotel clerks, paper pushers, bellboys, ushers, cleaning staff, security guards… perhaps he was referring to one of our top security members? But I knew most of them and none spoke of an older son. "And dad has a r-r-really c-c-c-cool office." At first, his stuttered majorly bothered me but know that I was more tuned out to it, I only slightly noticed it.

He faltered on some of the same words over and over again. "Really? Well that sounds super cool." I added with feigned enthusiasm, but he didn't seem to know what to do with my special attention; he looked almost weary, as if I was being sarcastic or something. "My name is Isabella Swan, but my friends call me Bella so you should do the same." Another half smile with more teeth was granted when I mentioned "friend". This was a really lonely kid, wasn't he? For the next fifteen minutes, I learned that he was an only child to overworked dad, no present mother to speak of ("dad says I don't have a mom, he made me all by himself" when I asked), was in kindergarten but not a physical school, got bullied by his older cousins, and didn't quite live up to the name of his "perfect" dad. It saddened me deeply that he led such a morbid, lonely life as a kid. I knew what it was like to have a shitty (or in his case, omnipresent) mom and a barely there dad- my Chief of Police dad Charlie Swan was so addicted and dedicated to his work that I grew up and left at eighteen right under his nose, with barely a goodbye going either way. We weren't really on speaking terms lately, there was just too much tension and lack of communication to get back to square one.

I took a small sip of my drink to gain a little bit of warmth, not that little Green Eyes wasn't warm enough in my lap; I knew it wasn't right to drink around a child, but I wasn't his mother or anything! And I enjoyed drinking, I didn't think he minded anyway. "You know…" It was odd to hear two clear, formulated words come out of his mouth, "I've always w-w-w-wanted a mommy." Instantly, I stopped drinking and just stared at him. What was I suppose to say to that? _Sorry honey, but your mom is probably a deadbeat parent that won't ever come back for you_. No, I could tell a child that. I clearly remembered my dad telling me something along those lines when I was just about six years old, and it broke my fucking heart. "D-d-d-do you have a b-b-baby?"

A short 'no' escaped my lips before I took a bigger drink and swallowed the liquid poison as softly as any other would have drank water- it was another talent of mine. "But I have a baby niece, her name's Izadora." The mention of Iza brought a goofy little grin to my done up face. My younger half-brother Riley got his girlfriend knocked up at the end of his Senior year at high school, resulting in the now four month old Izadora Denise Swan. Sure, she wasn't technically my only niece, but I couldn't honestly count my stepbrother & stepsister's children. They didn't include me in any way with their lives or the lives of their kids. I was a little clumsy and oblivious in life, but I knew how to take a hint.

"I bet you w-w-w-would be a g-g-g-good mommy." Little Green Eyes stuttered his sweet ballad to me, but I had never heard something to beautiful; he really thought that? Of course I understood he was young and unknowing to the ways of the world, but it just felt nice to hear once in my life. My step mom Sue was a kind woman, I could admit that, but I always knew she loved Seth, Leah, and Riley more than she cared for me. Maybe it was my cold shoulder or my odd, lonesome ways as a child, I didn't know exactly and I couldn't blame her. She had other kids to worry about, but I could never shake the notion off my back that I deserved a good mom that loved me in a special way. So I completely saw where he was coming from when he shared his urgency for a mommy, or at least a motherly cutout. He probably thought none about the grounding, nagging, complaining, and troubles that kids face with their moms… but I suppose there was good and love lying beneath every one of those sentiments anyway. "A g-g-good mommy for m-me." He spit out at last.

I literally choked on my own spit at his words. "What?" I asked in expiration. Did this kid just say I would be a good mom to him? It was almost laughable, really. My cooking was down to about four meals, my hangovers often left me zombie-like on weekends, I wasn't the smartest woman to teach another anything valuable regarding life, and I doubted he could join me at Club Rome on Friday nights where I went for pure fun. I didn't have the lifestyle of anything close to a responsible mother, I was just some young, stupid girl chasing a single woman's dream for the rest of my life.

And I supposed I was okay with that. Though nobody back in my country hometown of Avila thought the same- they assumed I was too old, too lonely, too careless to be Charles Swan only legitimate daughter. Not to mention the fact that I was meant to be a part of Avila's Police Department, just like my dad stepbrother and stepsister. I was a living, walking, talking contradiction in their eyes, nothing but an eyesore when I rode into town for occasional family visits. "Honey… I think you have me mistaken. I- I can't be your mommy." I bit down on my lip in nervousness. "When your daddy finds a nice woman he loves, he will marry her and she will become your mommy. Do you understand?"

It made me cringe to think that he would be another result of a stepchild, one that possibly wouldn't be treated the right way. But that was life, and it wouldn't be right of me to play along with his little fantasy and then just walk away at the end of the night. At first, he shook his head solemnly and I could see his green opals watering with that dreadful pang of hurt like in the beginning. But then, almost as if a light bulb went off in his head, he shot up in the air and tugged me by my hand and ushered me out of the small sanctuary we made for ourselves. His skinny legs for long for what I presumed what his age was, and he looked a little too thin for my liking. I came from a big-eat type of family, and none of us ever went hungry. It was what I had to blame my thick, full figure for as an adult. Sure, my stepsister's jeans would never in a million years be able to fit over my hips, but I took pleasure in crafting my body to be what I wanted. Thick, full, curvy- and dancing helped to tone muscles that my genes forgot to give me as a child. I barely had enough time to pull down my dress to a respectable length before he had us weaving in and out of the crowd, rushing past people like maniacs.

"Tony!" The rough, callous voice that barked the name seemed to stop little Green Eyes right in his tracks; that tone gave me chills down to my bone, it was what I assumed an executioner sounded like. But the boy just turned towards the voice and smiled easily, bringing me with him. I had one diamond ring on my right hand and painted my nails a simple black for the night, not imagining I would be face to face with a god-like being… the Adonis, if there was one. He was like, _easily _over six foot, bulky build, one goddamn beautiful facial bone structure, and those eyes… they were the same kind of green as little Green Eyes, but older and darker by far. The man was clean-shaven and as we approached, I began to smell his aftershave and it was so intoxicating that little stars began to swim behind my eyes. God, he was just… beautiful! But my swooning over him immediately stopped when his mouth opened. "Antonio D'angelo Cullen… what have I specifically spoken to you about wandering off? Something horrible could have happened, how do you not understand that?" This guy was barking down on him like a boss would berate a lowly employee; just who was this evil, beautiful creature?

Antonio's smile faltered at this man's enraged mantra and scooted himself behind my legs, squeezing my bare skin like I was his savior. The tall man snapped his unforgiving, cold eyes from his retreating kid to my surprised expression. "Don't yell at the poor boy that way, he just got himself lost is all! Who do you thing you are, anyway?" I folded my arms as I asked the question, trying to cover any trace of my stupid body reacting to this stranger being in close proximity to me. I felt the incessant need to defend little Antonio, no matter the cost of the public scene we were making.

A humorless laugh left his thin lips before he moved even closer to me, his eyes glaring down on me with pure hatred. How could one look make me feel so weak and unprotected? I lived alone in a big city (and not the best neighborhood), walked myself to my car every night in the dark, and punched a guy in the face once in a bar fight… so why was I scared shitless in a room full of people? "I'm his father." He said it with a sneer. "Now get the-" he moved closer, as to not let his son hear, "_fuck _away from my son." My jaw dropped at the nerve he had. How dare he talk to me like that? What did he expect me to do, move aside and let him drag Antonio out to possibly do physical harm to him?

I would rather take any wrath this man had before I let him hurt his misunderstood son. "No." I uttered shakily. I didn't want to move, but it almost looked like he was angry enough to shoot me dead. "You're obviously very angry, and need to calm down before you're left alone with-"

"He is _my _child, you stupid… _woman_." I was sure he fought down the word "bitch" in his head, opting for a more socially acceptable term. It seemed as though cursing wasn't done around his son, and I respected that, but what good did it do when his temper was on parade for everyone to see? "Step aside, or I will have you physically moved." I wanted to remind him that I wasn't holding his son back, Antonio was hiding behind me. But I didn't have time to argue fore in the next moment, his fingers dug into my uncovered arms and I was forcefully pushed aside. I had nothing and no one to hold onto for balance, and my heels did me no justice as I took a hard fall to the ground. Never before, even in high school gym, had I felt so humiliated and ashamed as I did- everyone stopped to look at the commotion, but no one necessarily stuck out a hand to help me up. They just stood there and gawked, witnessing the way the madman tossed me aside like a rag doll after calling me stupid.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall at this time and place. Next Wednesday morning, I would be working with and seeing most of these people again. I would be the laughing stock of the company; the stupid, clumsy Bella who probably had too much to drink anyway. The man took a deep breath and gritted his teeth, whether at himself or at me, and bent down to my level and offered a hand to help me up. Instinctively, I jerked away from him like some scared animal- he was some sort of insane, angry monster with no filter at all. Neither of us had time to do anything else when two small fists came flying forward and landed two good punches on the monster before he was restrained. "Look what you did! You hurt Bella, you hurt my mommy!" Antonio screamed on the top of his lungs, and if anyone in the party hadn't been engrossed in the scene definitely were now. His father held him by his forearms, preventing him from causing anymore harm. "I hate you, I hate you so stinking much!" The pain and anger in the little boy's words brought more water to my eyes- I wanted to hug and kiss him, tell him I could make it all better.

I was deeply trying to ignore the fact that he referred to me as his mother, again. "Tony, stop! You're embarrassing yourself, son, do you see that?" His father spoke in a hushed tone, but the mean factor was ever-present.

"You hurt her, now she's never going to be my mommy!" Tony was screaming and crying, tugging at the restraining hands of his parent. I idly noticed how Tony didn't stutter once when he was screaming and yelling, but I pushed it aside.

"I am the only one you have, you have no mother and you never will!" His dad screamed back at him. A pang of guilt felt like a physical stab to my stomach, where emotions were sloshing around in summersaults. I should have never pried into Tony's life, or questioned him about a mother. This was _my _fault, _I _did this to them. But Tony stilled at those words, slowly raising his head full of hair before gaining a full lock of glares with his dad.

"You aren't m-m-my dad. I don't h-h-have a dad." This situation was getting worse with time, but I could only sit there on the cold linoleum floor and stare at the interaction as it happened. It was wrong of Tony to say, but his dad said some pretty bad stuff as well. I soon realized that they were two bulls, going head on at one another for dominance in the argument. His father growled a deep, inhuman voice and I was surprised he didn't turn into some wild animal with the way his face was contorting and his jaw was clenching then unclenching.

"What's going on…" Alice Volturi's voice followed the panicked clacking of her heels as she stopped in a dead halt before us. Her eyes widened at my fallen self then narrowed at the man holding his son mid-air, a maniacal look schooling her pointed face. "Edward, put him down! He's just a kid, what are you thinking?" She marched over and snatched the small boy from her brother's grasp, with little opposition involved. "My brother is a tyrannical idiot at times, sorry." She regarded me genuinely, holding a small hand out for me. I took it and dusted my bum off, avoiding his line of vision any way I possibly could. "Everyone, im sorry- continue as you were, please! Everything is quite alright." Her damage control skills were impeccable, as always, but you could literally cut the tension in the air with a dull as butter knife! I followed Alice through the crowd, and they parted like the Red Sea, but once I noticed her pig-headed brother following, I took left towards one of the empty conference rooms rather than down the hall to her private double office.

I took a few minutes to cool down and collect myself, but all I could really think about was Tony. Was he alright? Was Alice protecting him from her crazy brother, unlike I could? Did Tony calm down any yet? So many more questions zoomed through my mind, but there was no way to possibly find out so I instead took out my frustration on a nearby box. I kicked it so hard that I heard some pieces break; if I wasn't so angry, I would have pissed myself in fear that I had broken something overly valuable. But it was the heat of the moment, could I really be blamed? A warm hand found its way to my exposed shoulder, causing me to gasp loudly and whirl around in an act of pure fear. An electric shock came from those fingertips and shot through my body like a broken circuit of sorts. "What do you want? Come back for round two?" I barked up at him.

He pursed his lips together and let his hand fall away from my body slowly. I immediately missed his warm touch, but I would never admit such. "I came to apologize-"

"If Alice sent you as some peace offering, forget it. You're an asshole, plain and simple." I sneered, not even stopping to breathe. "What you said to your son was horrible, I can't imagine how he is dealing currently! And in public, really? It was a nightmare to watch, I wanted to wring your stupid neck when you told him that he would never-" Sure, I was being a little braver for my britches than I had ever before… especially seeing as I was in a room alone with him, but he had this coming! It was either now or never to say it to him.

"Yes, I get your point." He spoke loudly, rudely cutting me off. Before continuing, he pinched the bride of his nose and took an even breath. "I am sorry- _truly _sorry to you, Miss. Despite the harm I did unto you," his green eyes flicked to the already forming fingerprints on my arms, "I promise that I would have never laid a hand on my son, Tony means everything to me. When you showed up out of nowhere with him, I was just moments before worried and in fear that I had… lost him." My eyes warmed at the openness he was showing to me in that moment- it was like I was peeking into his private life for just a second longer than anyone else could. From what I could tell, he was a man of both money and sophistication; he was the type of guy I saw walking out of Macy's with his model-like wife and equally dashing kids, or perhaps right off a magazine cover. Not my league, not my level. I was just a simple-minded broad that secretly enjoyed reality television and eating tubs of ice creams on particularly bad days. He was a man, I was a girl.

So why was I fantasizing him hovering over me, completely naked and drenched in sex-induced sweat? I shook my head to dispel of those thoughts. "Okay, I accept your apology." I shrugged. "But you shouldn't be worried about me, it's Antonio you should be stressing over. That's where you should be, not here talking to some stranger about things that don't any longer matter." It was making me angry all over again, so I took a small breath to continue. "He look devastated." How did we get so close to one another anyway? It was like we were just a breath away from locking into a passionate kiss… wow, where did that come from? I internally shook my self, but it was no use. This man was getting into my head!

"Yes, I realize I should be with my son. But I didn't want you running off without first hearing an appropriate apology. And I doubt Tony wants to see my face right now, his tempers usually wear off after a few minutes of relax breathing. My name is Edward Cullen, by the way." I tried his name out in my mind and I couldn't help the thought that it _fit _him for some reason. It was sexy and straightforward, just how I liked it. "It does matter, I hit you- I do not take pleasure in the harm of women, or children for that matter." I blushed at the fact that he was pointedly going out of his way for me, and he made me feel so special… and important. Edward's large hands trailed over my bare shoulders (of all nights, I chose to wear a thin halter neck number) and stopped right above his bruises he made. He marked me, as no one else had ever before, and I loved and hated the way that notion made me feel. If only it were my lips he bruised, not my arms.

_Seriously, Bella, cut this out!_ "Well…" I started out shakily, watching his fingers bravely trace patterns on my skin, "technically you didn't _hit _me, per say." I teased to lighten the mood, and his smooth chuckle made me pleased to break the tension. "But I'm sure when we all come back for work, there will be rumors of an abusive boyfriend chasing me through the party or something insane like that." I don't know why I said that, but I just felt like I needed to put it out there. Edward grunted in response.

"I will have a word with my sister to make sure that doesn't happen, Miss." His eyes tried to capture mine in a tight hold, but I chickened out and looked away.

"Alice is your sister? She's Tony's aunt?" The thought baffled me… I had been in her office often and we went out occasionally since I started working for Volturi Luxury Hotels (or VLH as we called it), but I never paid much attention to her babbles of home life or family. Edward nodded solemnly. "Oh, I guess I just didn't put two and two together." I shrugged softly and his hands still hadn't left my arms, but I wasn't going to point that out to him. "My name is Isabella Swan." I added lamely.

Edward's lips quirked in the same way his beautiful son's did and it brought an involuntary smile to my glossed lips. "That's a beautiful name for a beautiful woman." It took me gently by surprise that he would refer to me as a woman, beautiful at that! Sure, I was twenty-five… but I knew I looked too young for my age, and I felt more like an insecure girl in life than a grown woman. I almost missed the way his hands drifted down lower, dangerously lower, until his fingers brushed with my own. I couldn't help the automatic reaction my breasts had to his touch, and I took a long swallow to beat down the incessant need to scream at him "no!". "The way you stood up for my son out there… I was taken aback. People don't cross me, ever." Edward ran a hand through his hair, capturing my hand with his other in a tight hold. Why was he holding my hand? This was weird and out of some fantasy I would have about him next week, when this was over and we both went back to our two separate lives. "And I definitely don't like being told the word no, even if its from a pair of irresistible lips."

My breath caught in my throat. He thought my lips were… irresistible. I licked them subconsciously. "Yes, well, everybody deserves to be told no once in awhile." I stuttered out, feeling like a fool. _He's totally out of your league, Bella, _I screamed at myself.

"He called you is mother… and that took me most by surprise. Tony is usually hell-bent on disregarding any kind of motherly figure. So, I want to apologize for his freakish behavior on that front as well. He is young, he doesn't quite understand social boundries as of yet." I looked around his face as he spoke of his son in such scientific matters. Tony was breathing, living human being not some test subject!

"It's not his fault." I shrugged. "Can I… can I go see him? I have to get going in a bit, and I just want to make sure he's feeling alright." Tony wasn't my son to dictate, and if Edward refused me then I would have to bow out and take my post back at being the boring, lonely Bella I was before.

"Of course." Edward said, almost too eager. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I mean, Tony would probably do good to see you once more before you must take your leave. Though I am not sure how he will react to your leaving… perhaps you will just have to join us on our way home." His tone at the end of the sentence was obviously a teasing one, but I couldn't shake off the personal want of mine- I wanted to join him, and I wanted to raise Tony into a brilliant young man with perhaps even a little brother or sister…

_God, you're a real fucking idiot when you want to be_, another small voice belittled my far-off delusions. "Perhaps." I teased back and followed him through the conference's door and into the florescent lit hallway, finding our way to Alice's office in no time at all.

How was I expected to just walk right out of Tony's life? I wanted to give him everything he asked for: a mommy, a friend, a better dad, a more understanding family… everything! But I was no magician, and neither was I any good at playing those types of roles.


	2. Stars When You Shine

**A/N: ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE REVIEWS. Thank you to Sunflowerfran for looking at this chapter and giving me honest, helpful feedback. You were a great help!**

Edward and his ministrations were long forgotten when I walked into Alice's brightly lit office, decorated to the max with Christmas themed items. It was the last weekend of November, hardly close to the 24th- but I learned from my two**-**plus years working with her that she tookthe Xmas spirit very seriously. "Bella!" Tony shouted. His short legs took off in my direction, nearly knocking me over in his yearning to be in my arms. It caused a deafening blush to take over my features- with Alice and Edward in proximity, I felt almost ridiculous caring for a child that wasn't even close to mine. I barely knew him, but I just felt this draw to him … just as I foolishly felt to his father. "I thought y-y-you w-w-were gone for- forever." He spluttered like the nervous wreck he was.

"Now, what did Auntie Ali say about stuttering? Slow your roll." It was almost fascinating to hear my usually-impatient, million-mile-a-minute boss talk so slowly and patiently to someone, and I hid my smile as she looked towards me. "He just gets excited. I've been trying to convince Edward to take him to a therapist for it-"

"My son does not need a shrink!" Edward hissed lowly, as to not expose Tony to a truth.

Alice rolled her expressive, greenish-brown opals.

"A speech therapist, Eddie, it's not the same damn thing as a-" As they argued, I looked down at the sweet child in my grasp. I bent down to his level and held him against me, but he nuzzled into me, trying to get himself closer. Was I doing the right thing by allowing him this act of closeness? Should I have been pushing him back and away from me, instead of pulling him closer? In some ways, it was almost cruel what I was doing. When I was gone, he was going to be left with just a memory of this crazy experience. There was no possible way I could become a permanent fixture in his life; and I wasn't sure that was a completely bad thing. I didn't necessarily come to the party to gain a 'mommy' job title, anyway. If any of these people knew how little maternal experience I had … they probably wouldn't trust me with Tony for more than five seconds at a time.

"We can discuss this at a later date." Once Edward Cullen said this, there was no mention of an argument heard again. The finality and menace in his tone said that there was most likely never going to be mention of that topic again, and it wasn't the type of demand that was questionable. My eyes flicked from Alice over to her gorgeous brother, who seemed to be silently stewing in his own thoughts. Do they do this often, I asked myself? It wasn't right to speak about someone as if they weren't there, even if Tony was still just a kid!

"Tony is a young boy. He'll figure his words out on his own, won't you?" I spoke confidently, only barely acknowledging Alice Volturi's incredulous expression that now covered her small face.

Little Tony's eyes widened as he nodded. "W-well, that's what I meant." She stuttered just a bit herself, and I found myself jokingly wondering if it was a family gene. Yeah, saying shit like thataloud was the perfect way to get me fired. "But anyway," she cleared her throat and looked towards the doorway where her husband stood, "we have to get back to the party before they start suspecting anything." It was all image, and I understood her need for the extra cautious measures, but wasn't there a certain moment where things like that didn't matter? The kid was just traumatized in front of peers and strangers … wasn't that acceptable enough for the night off, home in his cozy bed?

"Miss Swan has to get going." Edward said for me, lowering his gaze to my slouching form. "And I think it is best if Tony and I took our leave a bit early tonight." Suddenly I was so confused at the crisscrossed lines we were drawing for one another. Miss Swan? I thought we were beyond that after all that happened tonight.

"But Eddie!" Alice whined softly, a horrified look in her eyes. "What about the party? I worked so hard to plan and decorate; I want to celebrate with my older brother and only nephew." She seemed desperate to have her family there with her, though I didn't understand the sudden need. I wanted to remind her that there were plenty more holidays and events to celebrate, seeing as she was addicted to throwing parties, but decided to shut my mouth. It was tricky what I was doing, walking the fine line between employee and fake mother. I wanted to show my casual, witty self, but also vowed to keep my neutral, professional attitude as well. I never questioned Alice at work, I was the perfect employee.

"There will be other parties, Alice."

And as he said this, he flicked his fingers in a demanding manner. Instantly, a tall man with a shaved head and even harder eyes, walked in past Mr. Volturi and stood before him. "Have the car warmed for us, we will be leaving in five minutes. Side exit, as we discussed."My eyebrows furrowed at their interaction- Edward treated that very big man like his personal bitch, or a measly maid. But This interaction reminded just what kind of people I was currently dealing with- they had people warm their car for Christ's sake! While the rest of us normies were subject to freezing cars in parking spaces, the rich were never exposed to such horrors. "Would you like a ride, Miss Swan?" I was going to immediately object, but he held his now gloved hand in my direction. I wanted to swat his hand away, but instead I stood up to my full height with Tony wrapped around my legs once more. "It will put my mind at ease if I know you found your way home," he looked up from my heels to my head, "_safely_." there was special emphasis put on the last word, but I ignored it.

"Thanks, but I should call my friend to pick me up as I intended to." I sent him a short twist of lips apologetically. "She will be worried otherwise." Angie was always my sober ride back from events; her scratched, dented minivan wasn't so much of a getup, but it was very reliable. I didn't have a car- it wasn't that much of a wise investment this deep in the city, and cabs were more practicable. I didn't have kids to chauffer around, family to visit on weekends, or a job that was all that far from home so a car was pretty useless. My little neighborhood, fondly called 'Destore', was only a few main streets away from Central North District- where wealthy businessmen had their lunch, and rich foreigners stopped for a night to rest. When the weather was permitting, I walked to and fromwork- if it was too cold or too dark, I would bite the bullet and hail a cab.

"Who? Angela?" Alice's ears perked up. Angela was the one that hooked me up with this job all those months ago, when I was desperately broke and had no job prospect truly acknowledged by my bachelor degree in Business and Social Interaction. What did I actually want with a degree like that, anyway? With the lack of parental guidance or role models, I weaved my way through the world the only way I possibly could. When I nodded, she flashed me a bright, practiced smile. "Oh, take the ride from my brother, Bella." Alice urged me kindly, but there was something deeper brewing in her big eyes. "I'm sure Angela wouldn't mind

"Okay." I replied hastily, averting Edward's eyes as I accepted both of their proposals. Of course, Angela would be worried about me and would take my explanation for more than it was- she was very wary about taking rides from strangers. But he was Alice's older brother, and she seemed to entrust him with my care enough to basically push me out of the door with him. After we said our goodbyes, we walked through the doorway and out into the hallway.

"See you Wednesday for the night shift, Isabella." Aro called from the frame he was leaning against, causing the two of us to turn back. I only nodded and returned back to Edward, trying to push his pervert eyes and voice out of my head for the rest of the evening. What was a beautiful, semi-innocent woman like Alice doing with a weirdo like Aro, anyway? I thought she belonged to a down south gentleman, or charming public figure, out doing right for the world one fashionista at a time. He made it absolutely unbearable to be employed under his watch. Why couldn't he go creep someone else out, at another hotel in their chain? They owned another prominent VLH in the upper eastside of Philadelphia, I was sure there were more prospects there.

I shook my head to finally rid of such thoughts when the same bald guy stopped before us. "M'am, Sir." He barked, handing Edward both of our respective coats. I wore a trench-sized, dark red pea coat that contrasted deeply with his plain black one. His looked hundreds of dollars more expensive than mine, but it kept me warm and was stylish enough to take for social events. Edward slipped his on with ease and held mine out for me to do the same, but I looked at him oddly; there weren't very many men in my life, and so little offerings of a gentlemanly nature seemed to catch me completely off guard. Heat rose to my face as i turned around and slipped my arms into the offered slots and sent Edward a fleeting smile for the gesture. Tony was wrapped up in his father's embrace, staring at me from half-open eyelids as we traveled down lonely hallways until arriving at our destination. The walk from the exit door to the backseat of his black Escalade was freezing, and my teeth chattered on their own accord.

As I wrapped my coat around me tighter, I felt Edward's arm slide over my shoulders in a warming gesture. Before I could stop it, my body moved closer to his in a search for even more warmth; I could only slightly feel the toned muscles in his arm and shoulders in our predicament, but his professional suit showed off every muscle there was to see from beneath his coat. His pressed blue shirt clung to his pecs and revealed a toned abdomen, just like an Armani model. Way, way, way out of your league, I bitterly reminded myself. He was oozing heat, like the floor heater in my parent's old, two-story house. We walked the rest of the way in silence; we probably looked like the picture perfect family, huddled close together against the mighty, windy snow of Chicago in the winter. He helped me into the car, even when my heeled foot slipped off the step stool as I climbed into the car. I sent him a relieved smile as he tucked my bum into the backseat. Howhumiliating would it have been to nearly fall on my ass in front of him? Well, at least for the second time in one day! His hands were rough, like a working man's digits should be, but there was a soft factor to them that I secretly reveled in. Just one touch of his could send my mind and body spiraling into nothingness, and that was dangerous. I waited patiently as he made his way to the other side of the car and tried not to think what he looked like naked. I found myself dying to run my hands over his shoulders, legs, stomach… anywhere his warmth was found was where I wanted to be.

As Tony yawned and leaned his soft head into my side, I was snapped back to reality. He had a son, and probably a crazy ex-wife somewhere around here. Sure he touched my arms and helped me into my coat, but did that mean anything these days?

"… Miss Swan?"

His voice knocked me out of the daze I had fallen in- if I didn't get home in the next ten minutes, I was going to fall asleep in this cozy car. "Oh, um…" I fished for what should have been an automatic response, but the way his green eyes pinned me was too distracting. We sat there, staring over at one another for longer than I was comfortable. Before he had the chance to ask again, I turned towards the driver. "1216 N. thirty-second avenue," I shot out, not giving myself the opportunity to look any more like an idiotthan before. From the corner of my eye, I saw Edward's face contort in thought. What troubled him so? I wanted to ask if it was my address or the work he was doing on his phone, but I decided instead to rub Tony's sleeping locks and look out of the tinted window at the passing city. We were parked out front before I knew it, and looking towards my shabby, postage stamp-sized condo. I wasonce again reminded of the two separate Edward and I led. I unclasped my seatbelt and paused only for a moment. "Well, thanks for the ride, Mr. Cullen." I said awkwardly, adjusting Tony against the seats so that I could escape through the car door. I was almost out of the door when he spoke up.

"Will you leave your number with me?" His request made my heart pound with excitement; he wanted my number? A powerful, beautiful man like him wanted my digits? He must have taken my shocked silence as hesitation, because he quickly clarified himself. "For Tony's sake- I only expect him to be very difficult when he realizes you aren't there with us in the morning." It sent chills down my spine when we said 'us', even though I knew that didn't include me. "But if you aren't comfortable with the notion of him having your number, I completely-"

"No, no." I put a hand up to wave his explanations off and shook my head. "I understand it's for Tony's sake." Yes, it killed me to know that he had no intention of ever using the number for his own personal use… but it did make me feel better that at least one male Cullen could put it to good use. I recited the simple set of ten numbers, but couldn't help the schoolgirl nerves that budded from the middle of my navel. For a moment, I felt thirteen and giving my cell number out for the first time again. He nodded and took the combo down before sending me a small, informal wave of goodbye.

I waved back and walked hastily to my front door, noticing that the black car behind me was unmoving until I was securely in my dark house with the door locked once more. The accelerator noised its way down the street as I kicked off my shoes and padded towards my bed- this place I called home was tidy, quaint, and very homely. It was a one bedroom, one bath condo on the corner of a very… busy street. 32ndAvenue was littered with families of different sizes, and down towards the next street corner was a very well-known dope house that I did everything in my power to avoid. There was good and bad on every street of Chicago, but I liked to think that North District was the least criminally involved out of the entire city. Hookers stayed to their posts, drug dealers had their designated corners, and crack heads weren't in abundance like South Chicago. It was a relatively hushed neighborhood I lived in, though was dubbed "Destore" back in the day- Destore started at 30 th and covered all the way down to 34 th Street, a village of about ten miles in radius.

It was safe to say that once my head touched the pillow, I was out like a light and dreamed of Edward and Tony and dancing clouds of cotton candy. Once I woke up late the next morning, I couldn't quite remember the details of my slumber fantasies and it made me suddenly so… sad. I could remember the previous night down to every gritty detail, but the perfect, serene dream escaped me so quickly! Before I could berate myself over a stupid dream any more, I stretched out of bed and grabbed my phone on my way to the kitchen. I easily had ten missed calls, all from Angela Brinks. I called her back immediately, already feeling the tiny headache of a hangover starting at my temple.

"Bella! Oh my god, thank Jesus you called! I was so worried about you, I thought something might have happened at the party last night." Angie was a naturally calm person, so hearing her voice go even a small octave higher than a mellow whisper was unnerving.

"No, I'm okay!" I all but shouted into the slim phone, doing my best to calm her. "Sorry for not calling, I got a ride from a… friend." What was Edward to me? An acquaintance, the father of a kid that called me his mommy? Basically, a stranger.

"What friend?" She inquired innocently, now sounding much calmer. She knew I disliked almost all of our coworkers, so I wasn't someone that received many friendly lifts home.

"Just a friend." I said in a dismissing tone. "Sorry again, I know how worried you get."

"Was it a dude? Did he come in? Did you use protection?" Angie whispered the last word into the receiver, and I could have sworn I heard a small giggle of hers. She was as innocent as they came, even with three kids and an over sexualized geek husband of six years. After profusely talking down Edward's role as a my 'friend', she laughed again into the phone. "Whatever you say, Bella." Even through the phone I could see her roll her small, black eyes behind slim reading glasses. "Do you have work tonight? Tina and Tim wanted you to come over for dinner, they sure miss you." I smiled at the mention of her four year-old twins; they were way cute, with matching seeing glasses and outfits to boot. Her one year old, Terri was as quiet and observing as her mother, but I didn't connect well with infants. The fact that they shit on themselves and couldn't properly communicate with anyone other than fellow babies was too weird for my personal taste.

"No, I can't make it." I grimaced at the fact that this was third time blowing her off, but she knew how demanding VLH could be. And especially because my manager & supervisors knew I didn't have a family or kids, I was first in line when it came to late shifts but it meant overtime to me. "Creepy Aro wants me to work the night shift, and I have both shifts on Wednesday." I groaned loudly at the outrageous fact that I would have very little time for sleep and cleaning duty before work took over completely. It meant work tonight, none tomorrow, all of Wednesday, half of Thursday, half of Friday, with Saturday and Sunday off… hotels were open twenty-four hours a day, meaning they needed staff to run it every second of the day. My usual, non-holiday month schedules consisted of me busting my ass on fourteen- hour shifts Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, but December was a tricky month. They needed me different times on different days, I just clocked in the hours and collected the paycheck. "But maybe this weekend?" I added with a ray of optimism.

Her heavy sigh through the speaker brought a frown to my face- in college, we were always having dinner together. She taught me how to cook three out of the four dishes I was capable of! "Doesn't work, I have the weekend schedule. Dang, Bella, since when did we become such busy individuals?" Angie teased.

I propped the phone between my ear and shoulder blade as both of my hands were busy cracking eggs and heating the pan. "Since bills began to add up." I jibed back at her. Angie went on to complain more about life and her daily struggle when my phone started beeping, signaling another call coming through. "Hey, Ang, I got another call to answer. Text me later, love you!" I said swiftly before hanging up with her and answering the other line before it hung up or went to voicemail. "Hello?" I answered breathlessly, catching myself just before it slipping into the bubbling goo that I called an omelet.

"Miss Swan?" Edward's voice boomed through the speaker.

My heart literally almost stopped.

**A/N: Wicked of me, I know! Love cliffhangers**


	3. This Old World is a Bold World

**A/N: Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! I love you all.**

"Uh…" I said stupidly, racking my brain for a more mature, intelligent response than the troll-like grunt I was giving him. "Hi." Was my final approach.

"This is Edward Cullen." He announced himself regally, as if I knew anyone else that sounded as sexy and masculine as he did. I waited breathlessly for him to continue; why was he calling me? Did he just call on a lunch hour to chat about the weather, having no one else to pour his boredom off on? Was he calling to ask me on a date? Did I forget something in his car? "I have someone here with me that wishes to talk with you." And even though his was still businesslike, there was the hint of a smile in his tone.

My heart dropped to the bottom of my stomach was the second time in one day, which should have been some sort of entry for the record books. I was still elated to speak to Tony, but it was just plain foolish of my brain to begin all sorts of fantasy conversations with his father. I was, again, losing focus. Edward didn't have any real reason to phone me. "Bella?" His tiny voice piped up over the line.

I smiled broadly at the refreshing, young feeling his faint voice brought to me before switching the stove off and leaning back against the narrow kitchen counter. "Well, hello there! How are you feeling today?"

"M-much better, Bella!" I idly wondered how Edward pulled that off… Tony was a ball of exhausted, frazzled nerves before his abrupt slumber in the car yesterday evening. Perhaps I wasn't giving enough credit to his father, who respectively knew Tony five more years than I did. "I got c-c-candy and special pancakes and a n-n-new t-toy!" I immediately frowned at Mister Cullen's _expert _way of dealing with his emotionally upset son- was that really the set of values he wanted to raise his eldest (and perhaps only) child with? Edward needed to teach that money didn't buy love or happiness; young Tony should be taught that on a regular basis not fed gifts and sweets to keep him complacent! I wanted to tear his dad a new asshole but took the high road instead.

"Really now? That's… very nice of your dad. Have the two of you talked already?" I was sure Edward was monitoring every second of our conversation, as any involved parent would, so I had to be very careful about the angle I took when speaking to Tony.

"About w-what?" I could hear the plain confusion etched in Tony's voice. "Daddy is t-t-too busy to t-talk. That's w-w-what t-toys are for." My frown deepened at his childlike take on parenting; honestly, what was Edward thinking? When your very own kid says you're too busy to even talk to him, its just a crying shame!

"I think your daddy should make more time for you, don't you think?" There was dead silence on the other line for a few more seconds than I liked, so I leaned into the phone as if it would help me to hear any better.

"That is all for today, Miss Swan." Edward's tense voice sliced in with controlled ease. "And I will have you know that I utilize every breathing second with my son when my work permits me, so you can take your ignorant opinion and shove it up your-" I quickly hung up before he could finish his unruly sentence. I definitely struck a cord there, but I did have the purest of intentions starting out. How was I suppose to know what was okay to say and what wasn't? I assumed Edward was the open, sticks-and-stones type of guy. I threw my phone across the kitchen, into the living room, and stretched my neck out side to side. Perhaps he was offended that what I said was true and he knew it?

Kids and their fathers were so damn complicated, and it was exactly why I wasn't involved with either of those attachments! But my boss and her early Christmas party damned my life to a certain hell where certain _opinions _were off limits to express and I was left feeling lonely and confused. Maybe I was taking everything too fast too serious? I liked my single lifestyle, I only ever had to worry about me.

Since our explosive conversation almost two weeks before, Tony and I had talked more than a handful of times. Edward and I never once corresponded, beginning to end, but I sort of liked the exclusivity I had with little Tony. He was someone that would listen to my simpler problems, attempt to offer me solutions, and then brag about his most recent discovery. And his discoveries winded into full-blown stories of hardship, struggle, and costumed super heroes; it was just so nice to hear a person fully let themselves to be exposed without holding back. I hadn't realized until then that kids were braver than any of us adults, they let it all hang out and didn't blink twice. "Bella!" Alice called from her office down the way, so I held back my tired sigh and walked towards her voice. "Good afternoon, how are you today? Take a seat." She offered politely, glancing at me from over her stack of papers. It was normal to see her drowned in hotel paper work, but when she left her office Alice transformed into a different type of woman. She was funny and talked too much, but it was in the comforting type of way. You never had to worry about awkward silences or lack of topics with her, rather the opposite.

"I'm doing well, and yourself?" I sat primly and tucked my black pencil skirt under my thighs in one practiced motion.

Alice rolled her pretty eyes and slouched back against her chair. "My poor baby had the twenty-four hour flu, and it was just so awful! I hate seeing him sick, even if Marcus is already seven and Aro believes that makes him half way there to being a grown man. Plus, the renovations for the Whitely site are a bit over the top, which is completely my fault, but I have to go back in on the plans and tweak it a bit… but that's besides the point." Everything she said was "besides the point" but I didn't point that out. "Anyway, I called you in to see how you were dealing with everything."

Just what did she mean by "everything"? Was she referring to my job or my spot as Tony's pretend mother figure? "Well, uh, Misses Volturi, as far as I know the hotel is doing finely on the market side." My hands got a bit jittery as I rambled on to Alice, not for certain where exactly she was going with this.

She waved her hand dismissively and let out a small chuckle. Alice rolled her small shoulders back and forth, hiding a small yawn behind her hand before apologizing for it. "No, no… I was asking about you and my brother. And Tony." She added as an afterthought.

I blushed at her revelation, a painful humiliation creeping up my throat as I fought for the right words to describe our _situation_. "Tony calls about once a day for the last two weeks, though your brother and I did find ourselves in a sort of, _heated _interaction sometime before." I licked my lips out of habit and subconsciously fixed my posture to be board-straight once more. "I enjoy my conversations with Tony very much, and I actually took him to the Memorial Museum on 16th street last weekend. He really does have simple needs, not what I expected at all."

"With Edward being his dad you'd think he'd be an awful, spoiled brat, right?" Alice said with very little reserve. Without much opposition, I nodded curtly and blinked over at her. "Well, Tony is a good kid. I'm sure you see that for yourself, but he does have another side to him. Just like my brother." My boss laughed easily, a big smile on her small face. "You know, Edward can be the sweetest gentleman you've ever met… and then he can turn into this gruesome monster of a man in a flash. Unfortunately, his quick temper transferred over to my only nephew as well." I couldn't imagine growing up with Edward in a home as children; he seemed like he would hold your hand and stab your back at the same time! "Tony has told my parents of your existence in his life, and while they see _this _as an unorthodox stunt by my brother, I've reassured them you were purely of Tony's picking."

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat at the mention of his grandparents; I never met or heard of them except when Tony mentioned his mean grandpa awhile back, but I didn't assume they were the nicest people in the world. "Oh… well, thanks for that." I replied stiffly. What was I supposed to say to that?

"Yes, but I don't think they're all that convinced you exist. You see, Tony doesn't open up to people and definitely not strangers." She rested her chin on her folded hands, looking at me with mild curiosity. "But he picked you, out of every other woman at that party." Alice let out a free laugh, and it sounded akin to tinkering bells at the strike of a new hour. "Anyhow, they mentioned that they would like to meet you. Aro and I are throwing a joint Christmas dinner on the twenty-third- some of his family, some of my family, and some friends. Do you reckon you're free that day?" My mouth flew open like a cave on the dark side of a mountain, and I scraped together the last of my dignity to close it.

I looked down at my crossed ankles and folded hands. "Um… Mrs. Volturi, I'm not sure that's such a good idea. I'm not anyone important in Tony's life to be meeting his grandparents. And besides, Edward and I aren't exactly on speaking terms currently." I let out a small breath I wasn't aware I was holding in when I finished my confessional.

She stared at me, not blinking once. "I think it will be in everyone's best interest if you participated in the dinner. Little Tony will enjoy having you there, and Edward is an idiot at the best of times. He says things he doesn't mean, I can speak for that. And stop calling me by my last name, Bella, we're friends." Alice smiled over at me. "Practically family now." Her eerily knowing smirk sent a cold, lone shiver down my spine.

For the rest of my day, I thought little about work and more about the level of hot shit I was getting myself into; Alice had me by a thin cord when it came down to it. When Tony's house phone called, I hesitated none in answering with an endearing tone. "It's Edward." I almost hissed at the mention of that despicable man, the one that was very close to telling me to shove my opinion up my ass just weeks before.

"Yes?" I replied testily. To be completely fair, he caught me at a tough time of the day; I just walked home in three inch heels and skipped lunch to clock in more hours on the time clock. I kicked off my offending shoes and threw myself on the old, comfy red couch Angela let me have when I moved in.

"How has your week faired?" It almost seemed forced, or perhaps uncertain, but I sighed at his lame attempt at friendliness anyway.

"Not so horrible since I do have the rest of the week off. Yourself?" If he had enough guts to call me, I could at least be cordial and answer his questions, right? I mean, I wanted us to be friendly with one another even if that meant awkward, tense conversations.

"Fine, I suppose. A bit backlogged, but it's always like this around the holiday season." I crinkled my nose at his tone when he said "holiday season"; he was the modern day scrooge! Who didn't love Christmas time- it was full of cheer and joy! It was the most wonderful time of the year. And then I wondered… where did he work, anyway? Not that it was any of my business, but he sort of knew where I lived and worked now. "I called to apologize, Miss Swan-"

"Bella!" I exclaimed, but took another second to school my voice. "You should call me Bella, there's no need to be formal." I laughed nervously.

"Yes, _Bella_," he tried my name out on his lips and I reveled in the way he twisted every letter, "and in return I would hope you'd take the same privilege." This was our way of flirting, or the most I would ever get out of someone like Edward. He was posh, sophisticated, of the upper echelon… I was a city girl from a small town no one even heard of.

"Sure." I slapped my forehead for giving such a small, stupid response. Was I ever going to be capable of formulating an intelligent string of words that blew him away? If I could, I definitely would have in that moment. "And there's no need for an apology, I obviously overstepped my boundary." I wasn't a stubborn child, I could admit when I did wrong as long as he could.

"No, that's another reason I wanted to talk to you personally. You're taking time out of your day to entertain his ramblings, you give him the motherly advice he needs, and most importantly you stand in when I find myself… too busy to deal with him." I narrowed my eyes into slits at his final admission. Tony was not a house pet or school project, he was his son!

"Stop talking about Tony like he's not your son, Edward." I replied with mild outrage. "Perhaps if you treated him with more attentiveness and sensitivity, you'd find yourself less able to walk away from him for work." It was stiff to say over the phone, but I had to put it out there.

"Bella, I'm a single father in the city of Chicago." Edward barked. "I don't have the privilege of spending all of my time cooing over Tony, but it's a small sacrifice to make for the better of his future. He will understand when he's older." I shut my eyes against the pang that struck me when he said that.

"_Why?" My lower lip wobbled and my tiny brown eyes filled with the unshed tears of that Tuesday night. "Why did she leave? Why hasn't she come back?" I asked him for the hundredth time since her disappearance. I was a lonely six year old little girl, confused by the harsh realities of life- but Charlie had better things to do than listen to my heartaches night after night._

_There was work, bills, the secret woman he was seeing when he thought I was asleep at night… I didn't fit in his schedule. "Bella, go to your room. We're not having this discussion again." When he said this, my eyes spilled the tears I had been trying so hard to hold back. Rene up and left just months before; sure, she and my father fought like cats and dogs nonstop, but I loved the idea of us three being a family. I liked to think that behind my mother's standoffish attitude and my dad's mean comments, we all loved each other in our own little way. "Why are you still standing there? Go to your room, young lady!" _

_I curled my upper lip and stomped, barefoot against the old carpet of our living room. The house was a three bedroom, too spacious for us at the time, but my mother insisted on us living in a bigger house than the rest of the neighborhood. And a long time ago, my dad would do anything and everything to make my mom happy. "No." I uttered it like a bad word. Charlie was on his feet at once; he stalked towards me like a killer did to its prey before leaning down and grabbing me by my shoulders._

"_What did you just say, Bella?" My dad wasn't a violent man, but ever since Rene left he gained a rotten temper._

"_I want you to call my mom and tell her to come back-" I was a sobbing mess. Usually, I could keep my six year old attitude on a certain track… but the gossip I had been hearing at school was that I was going to have a new sibling, and he wasn't in my mom's stomach- he belonged to another lady. _

"_She's not coming back!" Charlie roared angrily. My mouth popped open like a little fish, and all I could do was stand there in the humid room of our house and stare- I was in a long nightgown straight out of bed, while he was still in his uniform looking worked over. "Of course you don't get it right now… you're a kid." I would never forget the way he said it, as if it were a burden to him that I couldn't grow up faster. "You'll understand when you're older."_

I snapped out of my painful reverie, silently vowing to never think of that horrible memory ever again. It was times like those that made me hate the ground my dad walked on, even if he was the only one I had. "He misses you horribly." I hated myself for letting out a secret Tony told me under oath- again, it was something Edward _needed _to hear!

I heard only silence on the line, but I didn't break the pregnant nothingness between us with my concern. I waited penitently until his voice came back on the line. "I hadn't realized… Tony seems just fine with his toys and solitary."

I snorted in an unladylike manner, something my mom would have slapped my hide for. "Edward, you don't really think nice things and loneliness will groom him for a world full of people and problems? I'm not trying to give you parenting advice, _believe me_, but I just want what's best for your son. Listen, Edward- I don't want to get into another row with you. Can we agree to disagree for the time being? Alice invited me to a family gathering of sorts, and I suppose you and I will have to be friendly." I teased softly.

I felt his smirk form on his end of the line. "Surely we don't? I say we completely destroy her party again, purely for the sake of Christmas itself."

Even though I was technically supposed to still be mad at him, his preposterous plan had me laughing louder than I had in awhile. "Alice would have a holy cow if we ruined something like that for her! I suppose I would also be out of a job as well." I reminded him. He was going to elaborate on a scheme to bring down the shindig when a female voice called from somewhere near his ear.

My ribcage shriveled at the thought that he was with someone else the entire time; was she his assistant, or a girlfriend? I wasn't one to assume or judge a book by the cover, but he was a cocky, gorgeous son of a bitch- he could have any girl he wanted, and I doubted that the women he worked with were much of a challenge anyway. "Sorry, Bella, I have a meeting to get to. But, speaking of the dinner, would you enjoy my company for the evening? I'm afraid I'm all out of Tony's other stepmothers to use for the party." Stepmother… was that how he regarded me? I wasn't in any way romantically involved with Edward, which meant that the length of my relationship with Tony was purely friendly. Nothing family like, and nothing close to being a "stepmother" because that word made my skin crawl. He took my hesitation as a 'no' because his voice popped back up quickly. "If you have prior plans to accompany someone else, I will completely understand."

"No!" I scrambled with my words, not wanting Edward to assume that there was anyone but him. Was that weird, and perhaps desperate to say? Wasn't competition healthy? I should have made myself sound less available, not all for him anytime he so pleased! "I mean, I was thinking of this one guy from a long time ago but I'm sure you're much more fun." I bit down on my lip to stop from screaming at myself. Edward probably already realized how freaky and lame I was, why offer his companionship to a family dinner after all? I was an embarrassment to myself, let alone any one else.

"Then it's settled, you're my date." I was glad we corresponding over the phone because the blush that stained my cheeks was such an ungodly shade of pink. "Goodbye for now, Bella."

"Bye, Edward." I said breathlessly.

**A/N: Desperately trying to keep the nonsense & babbling down to a minimum for a more enjoyable reading experience. I love your reviews & private messages! **


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